Summary: I got this stupid idea of making Faith as Immortal. I will not make Faith as a Slayer too, that would give her unfair advantage as a Immortal. But I figured that every quickening makes her slightly stronger and faster, and better fighter. She's not in Slayer level, but because she has centuries of experience of fighting and surviving, she's better fighter than Buffy, which makes her almost equal to Buffy. Scoobies will still think she's a Slayer.

1) I'll pass the Slayer power to someone else. (That's an another story, I am destruction. (Why can't I link to it?))

2) Things will change, for example: Faith will not go in to the coma.

3) About her name: Vera (Вера) means Faith in Russian.

4) Faith's personality hasn't changed much during centuries, she's still almost as immature, naïve and in pain as she was in the TV-Series.

English is not my first language, so I'm sorry about the language.

This story is not copyrighted (by me, I, of course, do not own BtVS or Highlander characters) this story is in Public domain, if someone wants to take the idea, just do it. Hell, if someone wants to take over this shit and make it better... be my quest.

DISCLAIMER: Series trademarks, all publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is not in any way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, and makes no money from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

I Sing the Body Electric

Boston, 1997 AD

It was June, the air vibrated with moist heat, the streets exuding a strong rotten odor. Her delicate, pale face was touched with perspiration, and her dark eyes showed traces of weariness. She went in to the shadowy alley, climbed up to the roof of a abandoned building. She sat down on the dirty roof and began to fan herself. The stagnant air made the heat worse. She glanced at the sun, it was still few hours until it would set down. She laid down and closed her eyes, long ago she had learned that sleep was a weapon.

When she woke up the sun had just set, and with a rush she remembered everything that had happened the night before. Police had arrested her and taken all of her belongings before she had had chance to escape. She couldn't go to her place, she didn't have any money and she was on the wanted list, but she was still a pretty girl, and she had discovered over the years that pretty girls always had options. But she didn't like most of them, so she did things her own way. She got up and climbed down, she had to find a new clothes, something she could defend herself with and food. Streets of that part of the city were almost deserted.

It took some time for her to find a place where she could watch the drug dealers without being noticed. Patiently she waited until one of them was alone. She went to him. "Hey dude, what's up?" She asked with a sexy smile, she knew how to deal with men.

The drug dealer looked at her and when he saw how scrawny little girl she was he smirked. "Whatcha want?" He asked.

She got closer to him. "You know..." She said and pressed her body against him. "what I want."

His face went grave. "Sorry girl, you're sexy, but I can't give it free."

She pressed her lips against his and fiercely kissed him. "Dude, what I want is this," She said and showed gun and knife she'd taken from him. She released the safety and pointed the gun at his head. "now, gimme your clothes," She continued. "after that we'll go our ways. You can keep the drugs, but I need all of the money you have."

His eyes widened with anger. "Do you know who I'm working to?"

She shrugged. "No, and I don't care, just do as I said."

He took his drugs, stripped off his damp clothing and dropped it between them. She smiled to him. "Not at all bad. Good ass, six pack and nice blue eyes. In any other time I woulda taken you for a ride. Now," She said and smiled. "run, baby, run." She continued, but he just stood there. She pointed the gun at him. "you wouldn't be the first man I've killed." He stared her cold eyes for second, then he decided it was better to obey her, turned and ran. She took the clothes, wrapped them on his hoodie and ran away. She knew it wouldn't take long until his gang would be there.

As she ran she thought about her life. She saw her life for what it was: an endless misery, and yet she still hadn't had courage to let go. She saw a bus, stopped and quickly went through his pockets. When the bus stopped she got in and bought a ticket, and slumped on the empty seat. She watched from the window, hoping that gang bangers wouldn't come before she'd gotten out from that neighborhood.

When she saw a snack bar she got up from the bus. She went straight in to the bathroom, washed herself as good as she could in there and changed her clothes. She put the hood over her head and got out and ordered a burger and fries, went in to the table at the corner and sat down. While she was eating, two men came in and she raised her gaze. And sighed deeply. She knew what kind of trouble they were. She didn't want them to notice her. But if she'd try to get away they'd notice her. As she continued to eat she tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Men sat down on the table of a young girl. She watched how they talked to her, and when girl got up and left with them she groaned. She knew what would happen to her, and if she'd had her own weapons she would have saved the girl, but now she couldn't do anything.

When she had finished eating she bought a coffee and sat back down, she knew she had to stay in for while. A middle aged woman came in, and she noticed how she scanned the place and then her eyes fixed on to her.

She came to her. "Faith Lehane?" Woman asked and when she questionably raised her brow the woman sighed and sat down opposite of her. "I know you're in trouble, but that's not why I'm here."

She shrugged. "So, why're you looking for Faith?" She asked.

Woman smiled. "You have a destiny."

She chuckled. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"I'm Diana Dormer, and what I have to tell to you may sound insane. I have an offer for you."

She looked at her, the woman was in a good shape, she wore a classy, well-tailored business suit and her smile seemed to be genuine. She didn't get any bad vibes from her, though she was sure that this woman could defend herself if it came to that. "So... ya wanna me to come with you?"

"Yes. I'm not going to hurt you."

She smirked. "Like you could... look lady, I not a gay."

"Neither am I. Would you trust me enough to take you to the place where we can talk?"

She gave a sound between a laugh and a sob. "And talk would be all ya want, huh?"

"Yes. And I can help you with your charges."

"Ya do know that I'm armed?" She asked and got nod as a answer. She shrugged her shoulders. "Hell... why not, I'll come with you and listen you."

When they got out from the snack bar she saw those two men. She got tensed and looked at Diana. "Do ya' have a car near by?"

"Yes, across the street." Diana said and pointed at the BMW.

"Good, lets get in to it and fast." She said, took her hand and dragged her towards the car. "open the doors." She said.

Diana raised her brow and pressed the button and doors opened.

"Get in." Faith said and got in to the passenger seat. For moment Diana stared her, before she opened the drivers door and slid herself in. "Why are you in such hurry to get out?"

She pointed at two men. "Let's get hell out from here before they come to us." She said.

Diana started the car and drove away. "Were they after you?" She asked.

"Nah, they just were Trouble with capital T," She said and leaned back on the seat. "nice wheels, leather seats and shit."

"Thank you. My flat's near, we could go there."

"Whatever," Faith said. "could ya really get me off from those charges?"

"Yes, in fact I have already hired a lawyer to deal with them."

She nodded and rest of the drive they remained silent.

In Diana's place Faith glanced around the room. She saw row on row of bookshelves filled with old books, some of them seemed to be ancient. The couch was huge, too big for the room. She laid down on to it. "Now, tell me what ya want from me?"

"Do you want any refreshments?"

"JD if ya got any."

Diana groaned. "You're too young to drink," She said and sat down on the chair. "what I'm going to tell you—"

"—will sound insane, you told that already. Believe me, I've seen insane things, so just shoot."

Diana took a deep breath. "Contrary to popular belief, the world didn't start as a paradise. Demons ruled this world first until they were driven off. But before the last demon left he drank from a human and left some of his own essence in that human. With that, the first vampire was born. This demon drank from humans and turned them into vampires as well. This vampirism spread like a plague across the world," Diana said and watched how Faith reacted. The girl just smirked to her. "what I am telling you is the truth." She continued.

Faith nodded. "I know about vampires, those two guys tonight were vamps."

Diana smiled. "Then this will be much easier than I thought. Now, since the beginning there has always been a one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil. She is the Slayer."

Faith raised her brow. "So?"

"You are a potential Slayer. If the current one dies you might get to be the Slayer. And I want to train you."

Faith stared her for a second, then she laughed — the full, light-hearted laugh. "Girl, you're wrong. I ain't your potential."

"Yes, you are."

"Look, if I got it right when Slayer dies next one gets the slayer power?"

"Yes."

Faith sighed. "Then I can't be your slayer-to-be."

Diana sighed, she could argue with Faith, but she was sure that the girl was too stubborn to give up. She smiled to her. "Shall I make some supper for you, or are you still full from the burger?" She asked.

Faith shrugged. "I could eat."

Diana looked at her skinny body. "You should take better care of your body." She said and left Faith alone.

Faith felt irritated to an unreasonable degree, she liked the woman, but she also knew knew she couldn't be what Diana thought she was. But she was tired and nervous and she'd like to have a safe place to stay for while. She closed her eyes. She decided that, even though she couldn't tell the truth about herself, she wouldn't lie to Diana.

Faith looked at Diana as she was eating. So far Diana had done the talking, she'd talked about magic, vampires, and girls with superpowers. Faith knew most of those things already, but Faith liked to listen her British accent. After she'd eaten she leaned back on her chair. "Can I smoke?"

"That's a bad habit."

Faith grinned. "Yeah, it'll kill me someday."

"On the balcony, but first what do you think about all this?"

Faith shrugged. "Look Di, I'm pretty fucking sure that ya got the wrong girl. I'm not your slayer-to-be."

"You are. That has been conformed."

Faith sighed. "So... when you'll find out that I ain't the girl you wanted... you'll remember what I just said and when you kick me out, there'll be no hard feelings? I haven't lied to you."

Diana smiled. "Deal. So you'll stay with me?"

"Yeah."

She had read the book about the Slayer and her destiny. Not just the title or the preface, or a page somewhere in the middle, she had read the whole thing. Twice. All the way through from beginning to end. She tossed the book away and laid back on the bed.

She had been running so long that she had almost forgotten who she was. And now... something had happened which changed all that. Diana. She wasn't stupid, she knew that Diana's interest toward her was professional, but she was good at reading people and she also knew that Diana's affection toward her was genuine.

Problem was Diana's job; what she had read told her that the Slayer was a slave to her destiny and Watchers Council. And that wasn't fate she wanted. She had her own destiny to fulfill... or to run away from, like she had done for so long now.

But for a long time, Faith had had a dream. To have a home again, to relax. But she couldn't relax, something in the back of her mind remained alerted, more so after she'd read the Slayer legacy. But at least she knew that the worst would never happened; she'd never be activated as a Slayer.

She groaned, she knew she should tell the truth to Diana, but... she couldn't.

She was feeling something she hadn't felt for ages; she was ashamed. She tugged at her lower lip with her teeth and stared at the ceiling. Somehow Faith knew that she would tell everything to Diana. She just feared how Diana would react.

Door of her room opened and Diana came in. "We should go," Diana said. "your classes start in an hour."

She rose at once, and without a glance behind her followed Diana, wondering how much longer Diana would buy her act. It wasn't easy to pretend to be less experienced than she was.

Diana trained her for an hour, neither speaking. Even the silence between them felt good. Faith had not felt that good in a long time. When the silence was finally broken, it was Diana who broke it. She'd been showing basics of fencing to her, and when she finally spoke the sunlight coming through the window was warm against Faith's face.

Diana had been thinking the matter over off and on all morning, and now she asked, "Have you been fencing before?"

"No." She answered, a trace of apprehension in her voice.

Diana raised her brow, "Lying to me already?" She asked.

"What do mean, 'lying to you'?"

"You don't mimic my actions, you modify them to fit your body," Diana said. "and it is obvious you've done it so often that it's almost second nature to you."

"Oh." She said, but there was apprehension in her voice.

"Do you know how to use two sword? Here, catch." Diana said and tossed her sword to her. She caught it with her left hand and before she realized her body had adapted to two sword technique. She growled and relaxed her body, looking first at the swords and then Diana, her expression had changed and she glanced up at Diana, worriedly.

"Oh." She again sighed.

"Yes, oh, indeed," Diana said. "who taught you?"

"Would ya believe if I'd tell you that I picked it from the Kung fu movies?" Diana shook her head. "thought so," Faith said and sighed deeply. "what if I'd tell you that I learned everything from this Japanese dude, Miyamoto Musashi?"

Diana chuckled. "That would be more believable explanation... if he had not been dead for centuries. So I still need better explanation."

"I had a boyfriend who was a swordsman. It looked cool, so I kinda asked him to teach me."

Diana nodded. "That might be true, but you are too young to be that good."

Faith wondered how Diana would react if she'd tell her story to her. "Do I look like Xena or something?" asked Faith.

"You would if you didn't have those form fitting leather pants and tank-top. What is it with you and black leather?" Diana asked.

Faith grinned. "I'm going for slightly slutty heroine look."

Diana sighed. "You're the best potential I have ever heard about." There was a bitterness in her tone, and Faith saw that Diana felt betrayed.

Faith sighed, and suddenly she felt familiar buzz in her head, she dropped her bag, and looked at Diana. "Get into the car." She said.

"Why?" Diana asked.

"Now! Don't question me, get the hell out from here."

"What is going on?" Diana asked.

Faith looked at her. "Di... trust me this once, get the hell out of here. I'll explain later."

Diana stared her for moment, then she ran to her car and sat down. When she looked behind she saw that Faith had disappeared. She grimaced and got out from the car.

"You're an Immortal."

She followed the voice, but when Faith spoke she froze. "Yes, I am." Faith answered.

"I am Tymosz Pavlichuk."

"Vera Lopasnya." Faith answered, and suddenly Diana heard a sound of the metal clanging to metal. When she got closer she saw how Faith was in middle of a sword fight with a tall man. And Faith was poetry in motion, she was better sword fighter than Diana had ever seen, but so was the man, their swords were flashing like rays of light. She almost felt the quiet unremitting anger with which both the combatants fought, it was evident that this wouldn't end until another one was dead, they were fighting to kill. Boldly Faith pressed the man with quick attacks and then again quickly retired to the safer attitude of defense. Diana smiled, Faith made him to do most of the work.

When Diana saw the familiar smirk in Faith's lips she knew that she had formed a plan in her mind. Then she made a mistake, she backed up in the corner and her left side was exposed. Diana grimaced when man shoved his sword through Faith's body. She took her gun and was about to shoot the man when Faith grabbed his hand, and suddenly man was on the ground and Faith cut his head off.

Faith dropped on her knees and Diana saw a spark on the ceiling. Then the sparks turned to lightning, and Diana watched with awe as lightning lifted Faith up into the air.

She was yelling in agony as the lightning bolts struck her. The whole parking lot shook. For what felt like eternity, Faith was surrounded by lightning. Then it was over and she got up, grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled it out from her stomach.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Diana asked.

Faith turned to her and sighed deeply. "We gotta get the hell out from here."

Diana looked at the man's headless body and nodded. "Yes, we do."

Later that night, Faith looked out the window at the Boston skyline across the Harbor. She turned to Diana. "I said I can't be your potential."

"What happened today?"

Faith sat down and groaned. "Are you loyal to me or to the Watcher's Council?"

"Both."

Faith shook her head vigorously. "No, that's not an option here. If I tell my story to you... you can never mention it to anyone, or write it down. Or I'll have to kill you and everyone you told it. I wouldn't like it, but I'd do it."

Diana nodded. "Right, I promise I won't tell to any living or dead soul anything you tell me."

Faith sighed. "My name is Vera, I was born late 1470's in Russia, in a small village near the river Lopasnya, as a third child of a bondsman. And I can not die..."